session, now brought out the old horse and
carriage, in which John and Betty were to travel; and there was a great
deal of packing and settling before anybody got in, for there were nine
persons to go. The two Mrs. Fairchilds, and the two little girls, went
inside the coach; Mr. Fairchild sat with Henry in an open seat in the
back; and Mrs. Johnson was to go with Betty, John, and the magpie, in
the old carriage. It was large and of the old fashion. When the old
lady had taken her place, Lucy and Emily were called: they kissed Bessy
again, and Henry reminded her of the robin. Then they ran down and
kissed Mrs. Goodriche, and without looking round at any dear tree or
window, or garden-seat or plot of flowers, they sprang into the coach,
and felt for the first time that riding in their father's carriage was
no cure for an aching heart. Their hearts ached, and their eyes
continued to flow with tears, till they had passed the village and left
it at some distance behind them; but as they were dragged slowly up
the steep hill, beyond the village, they took courage and looked out,
and could just see a number of persons standing beneath the beech-trees
on the top of the round hill. Someone was waving something white, and
Henry was answering it by waving his handkerchief. Tears soon blinded
the eyes of the little girls, and they drew back again into the coach,
and did not look out again till they had got beyond the places which
they had been well acquainted with in the young happy days which were
now shut up in the past.

When we leave a place which we have long lived in and much loved, how
very soon do all the things which have passed begin to seem like dreams
and visions; and how will this life, with all its pains and pleasures,
troubles and distresses, seem to us when death is swallowed up in
victory, and we shall be with the Saviour where sorrow never more can
come?

[Illustration: "_Someone was waving something white._"]

* * * * *

_Wells Gardner, Darton and Co., 3, Paternoster Buildings, London_

[Illustration: The Fairchild Family]

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Inconsistent hyphenation of words such as band-box, play-ground,
school-room, maid-servant, farm-house, bed-time, play-room, post-boy,
school-fellow, corn-field, store-room, tea-cup, and work-bag has been
retained. For the text version's cover and title pages, I have added
periods to initials and to "Mrs." Minor typographical c